12 Days Luxury Uganda Safari

Overview

This 12 Days Uganda safari takes you to some of the most popular national parks in Uganda with exciting activities such as gorilla trekking, boat cruise on the Nile and Kazinga channel, game viewing, chimpanzee trekking, watching rhinos in the wild and visiting the world’s most powerful waterfall.

Brief Itinerary 

• Day 1: Arrival and pick-up
• Day 2: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Day 3: Gorilla trekking
• Day 4:  Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Day 5: Game drive and boat cruise
• Day 6: Game drive/Lake Katwe/Kasoga community visit
• Day 7: Transfer to Kibale National Park
• Day 8: Chimpanzee trekking
• Day 9: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
• Day 10: Game drive and boat cruise
• Day 11: Transfer to Entebbe via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
• Day 12: Departure

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and pick-up.

On arrival, you will be received at Entebbe International Airport by our company representative who will give you a briefing about the tour as you transfer to your hotel in Kampala for relaxation, as you prepare for the early morning journey the following day.

Depending on the time of your arrival and fatigue, you may choose to take a tour on a Kampala city tour or stay in the hotel for relaxation.  There are many cultural and historical sites within the city to look out for, including the catholic and protestant cathedrals, overlooking the city center, the king’s palace, and also within the city center are the famous tombs where past Buganda royalties have been laid to rest.  Kampala also has many restaurants and bars, both modern and more traditional – all of which are very entertaining.

Day 2: Kampala>Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

After breakfast, the guide will pick you up at your hotel and start your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You will have an en-route stopover at the Equator for a photo session before proceeding to Mbarara for lunch. After lunch, you will continue with the journey to Bwindi, arriving at your hotel later in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Bwindi gorilla trekking.

After early breakfast, you will have your packed lunch ready then drive to the park headquarters for a briefing before the gorilla trekking activity. You will then be assigned a group to track a particular gorilla family. You will be led into the jungle by an armed ranger who will keep in touch with the monitoring team on the ground in order to easily locate the mountain gorillas. The activity takes between 3-7 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. Once you locate the gorilla family, you will be given an hour to watch them in their natural habitat playing, feeding, resting and going about their daily life. You will later return to the lodge for evening relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Day 4: Bwindi>Queen Elizabeth National Park.

After breakfast, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park through the Ishasha sector. On arrival, you will have a game drive expecting to see tree-climbing lions, elephants, topis, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, savannah baboons and different species of bird species. Arrive at the lodge for check-in and lunch. Shortly after lunch, you can choose to do an afternoon game drive or relax at the lodge as you prepare for the next day’s activities.

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park.

After early breakfast, you will head out for a game drive in the Kasenyi plains in search of species like lions, bushbucks, waterbucks, giant forest hogs, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, lions, and other bird species. The park boasts a record of over 600 bird species. After, you will drive back to the lodge for hot lunch and later take a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel. The Kazinga channel is a 42km stretch connecting Lake George and Lake Edward with rewarding big schools of hippos, Nile crocodiles, and other animals that come to cool off and different bird species like the rare African skimmers. After the cruise, you can opt for a sundowner at one of the crater lakes or transfer to the lodge for evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Morning game drive/lake Katwe/community visit.

Wake up early in the morning, have breakfast, and head out for another game drive. Drive to the plains of Kasenyi in the savannah in search of the Uganda kobs, warthogs, elephants, hippos, buffaloes, and lions. After the game drive, return to the lodge for lunch. Shortly after lunch, you will visit the Lake Katwe salt mine to see the salt mining process. You will also visit the Kasoga community and fishing village to see and learn about the different fish preservation methods. Later, you may head for a sundowner at one of the craters or drive to the lodge for evening relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Day 7: Queen>Kibale Forest National Park.

After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and start the drive to Kibale National Park going through the crater lakes with beautiful sceneries. Arrive at the lodge later in the afternoon for lunch and check-in. Afternoon relaxation at the lodge and overnight.

DAY 8: Kibale Forest National Park.

After your early breakfast, you will drive to the chimpanzee briefing point in time for a briefing about the activity. You will be assigned a guide and rangers to escort you through the forest. Shortly, you will walk through the forest as the ranger keeps in touch with the monitoring team on the ground. Upon finding the chimpanzees, you will be given one hour to watch them feeding, copulating, hunting, breastfeeding, and patrolling. Later, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch as you prepare for the Bigodi swamp walk and community experience. Among the activities to excite you here include local liquor making, weaving of baskets, cultural dances and also paying a visit to the cultural doctor. You will later drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 9: Kibale>Murchison Falls National Park.

After breakfast,  you will begin your journey to Murchison Falls National Park.  The drive will take you through the Albertine Escarpment, viewing the two separations of the rift valley facing the blue mountains of Congo, plus you will have views of Lake Albert en route. On arrival, you will check in at the lodge and have lunch. After lunch, you can have an afternoon game drive or have an afternoon relaxation at the lodge.

Day 10: Murchison Falls National Park.

Today after your early breakfast, you will set off for a game drive. The drive gives the possibility of catching the big cats in action. Other animals frequently seen during the drive are Lake Chad buffalos, African Elephants, Lelwel’s hartebeest, Nubian giraffes, and Oribis among other species. Common bird species include the Goliath Heron, African Skimmer, and the red-throated bee-eater. You will later head back to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will have a launch cruise on the Nile. The cruise will expose you to schools of hippos, Nile crocodiles busking by the riverside, and different bird species. Later return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Day 11: Murchison>Entebbe via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and start your journey. Proceed in the direction of Kampala with an en-route stop over at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. On arrival, you will head out for rhino tracking. The rhino tracking activity is done in the company of an armed game ranger and the activity takes about 2 hours. You will get an opportunity to watch the rhinos in their natural habitat. After the tracking activity, we shall come back for lunch and continue with the journey to Entebbe for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Day 12: Departure.

After your breakfast, depending on the time of your flight, you can choose to visit the zoo, reptile village, or the botanical gardens. After the visit, you will transfer to the airport to catch your flight back home.

Accommodation is booked in accordance with your preferences and depending on your budget and availability.

Package includes

• Chimpanzee permit
• Gorilla permit
• Pick-up and drop-off in Kampala
• Transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle
• Services of an English speaking driver-guide
• All park entrance fees
• Bottled water (2 bottles per day)
• Meals included till dinner

Package excludes

• Activities not listed in the itinerary
• Laundry services
• Tips
• Travel insurance
• Visa fees

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